Cindy Prascik's Reviews of 22 Jump Street & The Purge: Anarchy + Bonus Afterthoughts on How to Train Your Dragon 2

Dearest Blog, it's Jamboree in the Hills weekend here in the upper Ohio Valley, and you know what that means: I spent BOTH days hiding out at the cinema. On tap: a second screening of How to Train Your Dragon 2, a first (very late) screening of 22 Jump Street, and the new release The Purge: Anarchy.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First up was a second go at How to Train Your Dragon 2. Regular reader(s) will know I was gravely disappointed in this the first time I saw it, as the original ranks among my favorite movies of all time, and this one...well...this one doesn't. While I still don't agree the sequel is better than (or even as good as) the first, I will say I definitely warmed to it upon a second viewing. I found much more to laugh about, much less to be annoyed about, and remained in awe of its visual magnificence. If you don't bother for any other reason, do see it on the biggest screen you can find just for the privilege of seeing the best-looking movie ever.

After revisiting the film, I would probably upgrade it from my original seven and a half to eight of a possible nine Weasleys. Still not as good as the first, but it probably wasn't reasonable to expect that anyway, no matter who said it nor how often.

Next up was another sequel, 22 Jump Street. I'm well aware this has already left many theatres and if you were gonna see it you probably would have done by now. I'm still reviewing it for two reasons: first, because it's worth a good word if that good word convinces anybody buy the DVD or see it in a second-run cinema, but also so I don't forget it when it comes time for my year-end top ten, which at this writing would include it.

Having succeeded in their high school undercover mission, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) move on to college.

22 Jump Street is that rare sequel that is equal to its predecessor, hilarious from beginning to end, with a couple twists that rival most mysteries and thrillers. Hill and Tatum have a genuine chemistry that sells their relationship, and a comedic fearlessness that translates to great entertainment. The supporting cast is a riot, and laugh-out-loud physical humor combines with self-aware sequel jokes to make this the summer's funniest movie thus far.

22 Jump Street runs 112 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity, and some violence."

If you're in the mood for a good laugh, this is your movie. Of a possible nine Weasleys, 22 Jump Street gets seven.

Finally, today it was The Purge: Anarchy.

A small group caught out during the annual Purge teams up to try to survive the night.

Two notes: I have seen only minutes of the first Purge, in passing. It is by all accounts terrible. The sequel was only on my radar--and barely, at that--because I've had a bit of a thing for Frank Grillo since The Grey. Yeah, I know I'm late to that party, so sue me. Earlier this weekend, I saw a review comparing this new Purge to Walter Hill's The Warriors, one of my top ten movies of all time, and it became a must see.

I didn't expect much, but I'm pleased to report I was very pleasantly surprised.
Let this be the first and probably only review to note that the annual Purge takes place on Gary Oldman's birthday, March 21. How's a transplanted Brit to celebrate his special day in a country that's doing THAT with it? I strenuously object, and respectfully petition for a change of Purge date.

Okay, back to business. As mentioned, The Purge: Anarchy is much better than I expected. I figured I'd indulge my crush in a so-so movie and be done with it, but I was actually engaged from start to finish. The concept is scary as hell, but provides some interesting food for thought. There's some wonky dialogue, but the movie is smart enough not to try getting too talkey. Tension holds steady throughout, no chance to feel certain of anyone's safety. The Halloween-masked antagonists are particularly effective, and their scenes especially well staged. There's plenty of violence, but nothing overly graphic or gory. Grillo is well suited to his role. I expect I'd feel pretty safe in his charge were my life threatened...or, hell, even if it weren't. The rest of the main cast does a decent job of: a.) appearing terrified, and b.) running for their lives. So. Much. Running. It's like a World Cup game, but without the diving. Finally, the movie gets full marks for not wearing out its welcome.
The Purge: Anarchy clocks in at 103 minutes and is rated R for "strong disturbing violence and language."

It may not be what you'd call a "summer fun" movie, but it's engaging, entertaining, and worth the price of admission. Of a possible nine Weasleys, I'm happy to give The Purge: Anarchy seven.
Until next time..

Hi, I'm that guy you met on the Internet dating site!

MOVIE REVIEW: 22 JUMP STREET

After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team, and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership. Now they don't have to just crack the case - they have to figure out if they can have a mature relationship. If these two overgrown adolescents can grow from freshmen into real men, college might be the best thing that ever happened to them.~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Christopher Miller, Phil Lord     

Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Peter Stormare, Ice Cube. 

Release Date: Jun 13, 2014

Rated: R for Language Throughout, Drug Material, Brief Nudity, Sexual Content and Some Violence     

Runtime: 1 hr. 49 min.     

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy     

Review:

22 Jump Street is pretty much 21 Jump Street with a bigger budget.  Something the movie literally tells you within 10 minutes of watching it.  Its self aware humor peppers the film as it plays up the bromance that’s part of every cop flicks.  All the while it’s skewering bloated sequel while being one at the same time.  That’s not to say it isn’t funny because it is but it could have used a tad bit of trimming.  Thankfully, Hill and Tatum continue their fantastic chemistry from the first, each playing up their parts to perfection.  Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, yes the same guys that made The Lego Movie, keep the action rolling at a steady pace with just a smattering of dead spots.  The third act might feel a tad bit tacked on but as a whole it’s a really fun film.  Be sure to stick around for the credits as they posit what countless sequels would look like, something Ice Cube might know a little something about..

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: HANSEL & GRETEL WITCH HUNTERS

Fifteen years after a horrific experience in a deceptively inviting ginger bread house, an orphan Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have become famous for ridding the countryside of witches. Despite their stellar success record, the brother and sister face a unique challenge when an extremely powerful witch. The film was directed by Tommy Wirkola. Actresses Famke Janssen and Pihla Vitala co-star. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Director: Tommy Wirkola

Cast: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, Peter Stormare, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal.

Release Date: Jan 25, 2013

Rated R for fantasy Horror Violence/Gore, Brief Sexuality/Nudity and Language

Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min.

Genres: Fantasy

Review:

If you are watching a movie called Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters then you have a good idea about what kind of film you are going to see, more so, if you are familiar with Tommy Wirkola’s previous film, the schlock fest Dead Snow. Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters has a good sense of humor about itself and never takes itself overly seriously. A generic plot, which only has a few flourishes, is pedestrian enough that you could watch this while doing other things while never missing much in terms of plot. That’s not to say it isn’t watchable, which it is, but that’s mostly because the cast seems to be having a great time. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton make a fun duo, each fully embracing the general silliness of plot and their characters. They have great chemistry together. Famke Janssen is equally fun as the main baddie. She vamps it up from the first moment she hits the screen. The interplay and overly gory and vulgar script partnered with some solid direction keep the film moving. It’s fun and rather silly but never great. The entire film looks like it was done on a cheap sound stage which becomes more and more noticeable as the film progresses. Likewise, cheap 3D showcase shots litter the film’s 2nd half. This might have been fun on the big screen in 3D but at home it’s just wasted space and time. The biggest issue is the script which is so bland that it rarely takes advantage of the performances. It all plays out the way you think it will and rarely provides enough to fully engage the audience. For what it is, it’s disposable fun which has the good grace to keep things light and short.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE LAST STAND

A border-town sheriff pulls out the heavy artillery to prevent an escaped drug kingpin from blasting his way into Mexico in this sun-scorched action opus starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by Kim Jee-Woon (I Saw the Devil, The Good, the Bad, and the Weird). Johnny Knoxville, Luis Guzman, and Rodrigo Santoro co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Kim Jee-Woon

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Peter Stormare, Forest Whitaker, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzman

Release Date: Jan 18, 2013

Rated R for strong Bloody Violence and Language

Runtime: 1 hr. 46 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

The Last Stand is Arnold’s triumphant return to the big screen as a leading man. Its ludicrous plot sounds like the perfect fodder for a good old fashion Arnie blowout. My only question is why Kim Jee-Woon decided to waste so much time with pointless set up whiling trying to shoehorn in some seriousness into the plot. The first act of the film is incredibly choppy seemingly reluctant to embrace its own silliness. Once the ball actually starts rolling and the property damage increases it finally stops taking itself so serious and starts having fun. Arnold is rather flat which doesn’t come as a surprise as he works his way back into the acting game. The rest of cast give forgettable performances with Johnny Knoxville and Rodrigo Santoro battling for silliest and most of the top performance of the movie. As an action film its enjoyable fluff but the script doesn’t do it any favors serving up some incredibly hammy lines creating some groan inducing moments. Kim Jee-Woon would have been well served to reference Con Air, a movie with a similarly outlandish illogical plot, to get an idea about setting up a tone for his film. There’s plenty of fat which could have been cut to streamline the old school action which is what everybody was paying to see.

C+